Vehicle-wheel.



E. L. AGREE.

VEHICLE WHEEL. APPLCATlO-N FILED IAN.. 2. 1918. LQ. Patented Mar. 4,1919.

erases narrar ersten@ ELMER L. ACKER, F CHICAGO, ILLINOS.

VEHICLE-'W'HEEL T0 all '107mm it 'may Conce/rn BeA it known that l, ELMER L. Aurina, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful lmprovement in Vehicle-VJheels, of which the followingis a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in vehicle-Wheels and particularly of the class of such wheels onl which pneumatic-tire rims are used, though the invention is not intended to be limited thereto.

My prin'iary obj ect is toprovide a vehiclewheel ot light Weight and strong construction; and to that end I employ the principle ot1 `torturing the Wheel-center ot a pair of disks ot'- resilient material, confined between the wheel-rim and hub and strained, for stifle-ning them to reinforce the structure,

into converged condition by axial deflection of their centralportions, in which position lthe disks are secured.

, ln the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a central vertical section of a vehiclewheel embodying my invention in its preferred form; Fig. 2'is a. similar view of the saine showing an'added out-er reinforcing disk under stifening strain; Fig. 3 is a 'View like that presented in Fig. 1,but illustrat-ing a modiication, and Fig. #l isan enlarged broken section on line 4 4, Fig. l,

1, the

Referring particularly to Fig.

AWheel-center is formed of a pair of annular disks, 5, 5, of adequately resilient, strong and relatively light material, preferably sheet-steel. Each disk is langed inwardly about its peripheral section, as represented 'at 6, these flanges being shown to be longi-` tudinally corrugated in Fig. l; and each disk is bent to present a blunt edge at 7 about its central opening'where itbears against. the hub 8. An inner rim 9, having a raised peripheral central portion, provided with slwulders and depressed edge-portions extending outwardl)7 from the shoulders, riga' ly contines the disks at their iianges 6 between the depressed edge-portions of the inner rim and an;r suitable form of outer rim 10, that shown being a conventional representation of a clencher-ri1n tor retain ing a pneumatiotire (not shown). The corrugations in the flanges t3 insure close bearing against them of the rims between which they are contined. TWith the center-v orming disks thus rigidly held, a rifiuto-ic Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed .anuary Patented Mar. el, 1919.

, 1918. Serial No. 210,929.

ing ring 11 may, but not necessarily, be interposed between them within the inner rim 9, .as represented. The huh 8 shown lcomp rises an externally-threaded thimble-portion having a rigid circumferential flange 12 formed on` it near its inner end, a similarly shaped annular head 13 applicable about the hub-thinible at its outer end, a nut 14 screwing on the threaded section of the thirnble against the head, and caps 15 enveloping the nut and the closed outer hubend.

lilith the disks 5 clamped between the rimmembers, as described, the hub is inserted at its'outer end through their central openings, whereupon the head 18 is applied to its place and the nut lll is screwed against it, with the result of straining the disks to dish and converge them toward the hub. The strain under which the disks 5 are thus confined so stidens them as to greatly reinforce" the wheel-structure and render it strong, notwithstanding the light Weight of its center-forming disks.

lThe construction illustrated in Fig. 2 is substantially like that shown in Fig. 1 With an added outer annular reinforcing disk fr of the same material as that of .the disks 5. rthis outer disk is clamped at its preferably corrugated peripheral flange 6, like the disks 5, between the rims 9 and 10 with its center surrouruling the hub near the outer end of the latter; and a nut 14' on 'the screw-thread is turned to he .moved outwardly against the disk to dish and strain it for the aieoresaid sti'fening eheet to add reinforcement4 to the wheel-center. A cap 15", in this instance, extends about the closed outer end or' the hub from the nut lla.

7lhe modified construction illustrated in Fig. 3 is more particularly designed for aeroplanes and niottncycles, on which it is not desirable to have the hub project niaterially at either end beyond the centen forming disks. ln this case the hubI 8 threaded externally to be engaged by nuts l-ll. The annular disks D, 5b, are clamped at peripheral flanges G between the rims t) and 10, the same as described in connection with Fit, 1 and 2, and they surround the hub at'their central o} enings where they bear against the outer faces ofi the nuts, which are tin-ned to advance toward the hub-endsund thus strain the disks to there. diverge them for aliording thereto Elio aforesaid stille-ning and resiidtant rcinliorcing function, whereby the Wi'ieel is also, rendered strong und adapted to eerry heavy loads Without buckling or collapsing, notwithstanding the relatively light-weight disks.

l realize that considerable wiristion is possiblein the details of construction thus specifically shown und described, und l do not intend by illustrating` zi single specificy eniibodiinent of my invention to oe limited thereto, my intention 'being in the following claims to claim protection upon uli the novelty there innij be in my invei'rliion :is fully as the state of the nrt will permit.

I claim:

l. A vehicle-wheel eoniirisingj in coniioinetion with e riinend u, hub, :i pair of eeni'zer-iorniing resilient disks rigidly cured to lthe riin, and strained to extend Vin converg' in relzition toward the litio. sind u third resilient disk rik 'i ly secured to the rini und struined into dished condition toward the outer hub-end, seidldils beingrig; idly secured in their said relations on the hub.

2. A Vehiclewheel comprising, in eoinA loinetionj :in outer rim, an inner riin und u, hub e pair oi' een'teraforining, resilient disks lim/'nig peripheral Heiliges :it which they are secured between seid rinis, seid disks being strained to extend in converging relation between the rin'is und hub, und means on the hub 'for seeuring the strained disks in said relation.

3. A vehicle-Wheel comprising, in' coinbinzition, :in outer rin'i5 un inner rini and zi hub, e pair of center-forming resilient disks having peripheral Heiliges :it which they are si, ered between said rims, seid disks being st .ruined to extend in conv t,ing relu-tion toward the hub7 `,zi-nd :i ,third periplierally flanged resilient disk secured et its tlenge be tween seid rims end strained. into dislied condition toward the outer liublend, seid disks being rigidi);7 secured in their said reletions on the hub.

el. A. `eeliiele-udieel comprising, in coinleinzi-tion, an outer rim, in inner rim having e raised centred portion provided With shoulders ene der essed edgeportions, and snub, e, pair of oenterdorniing resilient disks having' peripheral {ienges at which they are secured between the outer rim and depressed portions of the inner riin, seid disks being strained to extend in converging relation between 'the rims and hul), end ineens on' the hub for securing the strained disks in said reiation.

5 A. vehicle-Wheel Comprising, in combination, en outer rim adapted' to carry e tire, un inner rim, :i ring within the inner rini, und e hub, a. pair of center-forming peripherolly flanged disks secured at their thin iiietuf'een Suid rims and. strained to egitend 'from seid ring in adjustable Converging' relation toward the hub, und ineens on the liub 'for .securing the strained disks in seid relation.

(i. A reliiele-wheel comprising, in coinhinetion, e rim und e threaded hub provided with zi lienge, a. pair of center-forming resilient annuler disks rigidly secured to the rim und surrounding the hub, a nut-fastened head on the hun copereting With said ienge to strain sind converge seid disks toward the hub and secure them in their strained condition :L third resilient annular disk secured to the rim and surrounding the hub, an e nut on the hub operating to strain said third disk toward the outer liub-end and retain it in its streined condition.

ELMER L. ACKER. 

